Compare Toaster Ovens
Instant Omni Plus 18L Air Fryer Toaster Oven scores higher on safety - here's why.
The most important dimensions, side by side.
The interior is galvalume steel — an aluminum-zinc alloy that avoids the toxic nonstick coatings found in some toaster ovens and sidesteps the lead-contamination concerns associated with galvanized steel. It is not stainless steel, though, and aluminum can migrate into food at sustained high temperatures, especially with tomato sauces, citrus, or other acidic ingredients.
Aluminized steel interior — no PFAS coating, but aluminum migration at sustained high heat with acidic foods is a documented concern. Distinct from zinc-coated galvanized steel.
BALMUDA has not made any PFAS-free statement for The Toaster. The galvalume interior does not use PTFE coatings by its material composition, but without a brand statement or independent test there is nothing for a buyer to rely on. Notably, BALMUDA's Kettle product does have a PFAS-free FAQ — The Toaster simply does not.
PFOA-free only. The EPA phased out PFOA in 2006 — this is baseline compliance, not a meaningful safety distinction. Replacement PFAS compounds like GenX remain equally concerning.
The baking tray your food rests on appears to be bare, uncoated aluminum — based on editorial reviews, since BALMUDA does not disclose this material officially. Uncoated aluminum can leach into acidic foods at levels that research suggests are a real concern for young children, particularly in a single meal. BALMUDA does sell a Noda Horo enamel tray as a separate accessory, and it is a worthwhile upgrade if you plan to cook anything acidic in this oven.
Enameled iron tray — inert glass-ceramic coating, PFAS-free by composition. No leaching concern at oven temperatures.
Generous space for a compact toaster oven — fits four slices of bread with room to spare, or a small whole chicken. You are unlikely to feel constrained by the interior size for everyday toaster oven tasks.
Five cooking modes — Sandwich Bread, Artisan Bread, Pizza, Pastry, and Oven — each specifically tuned around BALMUDA's steam technology. These are meaningfully different settings, not just temperature presets with different names.
Four-fifty degrees handles all standard cooking tasks -- baking, broiling, toasting, and air frying. You'll only feel the limitation if you want to use a pizza stone (needs 500 degrees) or do very high-heat searing.
Adjustable convection fan with high and low speeds -- a step up from the single-speed fans in most competitors. The fan powers both the convection and air fry functions, giving you even heat distribution regardless of cooking mode.
No independent lab has measured whether this oven holds its set temperature accurately. The digital display and dial controls feel precise, but without a test like TechGearLab's measurement of the Breville, we can't confirm it. An oven thermometer is a $10 insurance policy if accuracy matters to your cooking.
The crumb tray slides out cleanly for quick cleanup after each use. This is a small thing that makes a real difference in a toaster oven used daily — crumbs accumulate fast, and a tray you can actually remove means you will clean it.
Pull, wipe, replace. The enamel interior also resists staining better than bare stainless or ceramic, so the whole oven stays cleaner longer.
LCD display plus a dial knob with 10 presets -- Air Fry, Bake, Roast, Broil, Toast, and more. Select the function, the oven suggests time and temperature, and you adjust from there. Clear, fast, and intuitive for daily use.
At $299, you are paying a premium for BALMUDA's steam technology and design. From a safety-weighted value perspective, though, the price is steep for a product where the two most significant food-contact safety gaps remain unresolved.
At $250, you're paying a premium -- but you're getting the only perfect safety score in this comparison. Porcelain enamel plus UL Listed is a combination no other oven at this price delivers. The value equation depends on how much you weight safety versus performance: if safety is first, the price is justified.
Everything you need to make the call - who each one is for, and who should skip it.
Go for it if you...
You prioritize exceptional toast and pastry results above all else and are willing to upgrade the baking tray separately.
You plan to buy the Noda Horo enamel tray accessory to replace the included aluminum tray before cooking acidic foods.
You value Japanese design craftsmanship and use this oven primarily for bread, not for acidic dishes or family meals.
You already own this oven and want to understand the material tradeoffs before committing to long-term daily use.
Safety is your number-one priority -- this is the only toaster oven in this set with a perfect safety score across all three criteria.
You want the peace of mind that comes from UL Listed certification -- an independent lab has tested this appliance for fire, shock, and overheating.
You want a porcelain-enamel interior that's chemically inert, easy to clean, and won't degrade at any cooking temperature.
Ten preset cooking functions with LCD + dial controls give you enough versatility for everyday family meals.
The main thing to know
The included baking tray appears to be bare aluminum — the material your food sits directly on — and BALMUDA has made no PFAS-free statement for this product. At $299, those are gaps we would not expect to find.
The Instant Omni Plus checks every safety box: porcelain-enamel interior, UL Listed certification, and BPA-free construction. The tradeoff is that its cooking performance (450 degrees max, unverified temperature accuracy) is adequate but not category-leading.
Skip this if you...
Verified food-contact material safety is your top priority — no PFAS certification exists for this product and the included baking tray is bare aluminum.
You want a toaster oven safe for cooking acidic foods like tomato-based dishes or citrus without purchasing aftermarket accessories.
You are buying a toaster oven for a household with young children and want independently verified clean materials from day one.
You need 500°F for pizza stone use or high-heat searing -- the Omni Plus caps at 450°F.
You want lab-verified temperature precision -- the Breville BOV800XL is the only option with independently confirmed accuracy.
You're on a tight budget -- the GreenLife at $99.99 offers similar efficacy with PFAS-free ceramic nonstick at less than half the price.
Neither of these quite what you're looking for?
I've reviewed all Toaster Ovens options at every price pointEvery Toaster Ovens in our database is scored using R3's deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. For this comparison, we evaluated BALMUDA and Instant across 3 independent criteria: Safety (86%), Efficacy (6%), Usability (3%). No sponsored rankings. No paid placements.
Straight answers - no sponsored content, no filler.
I'd start with Instant Instant Omni Plus 18L Air Fryer Toaster Oven - it scored 4.8/10 overall in our scoring system. Safety is our top-weighted scoring pillar, followed by efficacy, and usability. Check which pillar matters most to your family and compare those specific scores.
R3 uses a deterministic scoring system - the same inputs always produce the same score. We evaluate each Toaster Ovens across Safety, Efficacy, Usability using independently verified data. No sponsored rankings. No paid placements. Every score is fully reproducible.
Not necessarily. The overall score reflects our weighted rubric, but your priorities may differ. If you care most about safety, compare the safety scores directly. If budget drives your decision, the prices tell a clearer story. The "right" pick is the one that matches what matters most to your family.
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